The Araripe Manakin

The Araripe Manakin (Antilophia bokermanni) is a globally endangered specie of bird that is threatened by the deforestation and manancial degradation that cause the loss of its habitat. In fact, it is listed among the 190 birds classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered. There are only 800 individuals from this specie left. The Cariri valley, in the state of Ceará, is the part of the Chapada do Araripe inhabitated by this bird. The area has abundance of water sources, wich makes it a oasis in the middle of the dry Sertão of Ceará.

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The Araripe Manakin is essentialy frugivorous (mainly feeds of small fruits, while also eating small arthropods). There are frequent sightnings of the specie regurgitating and defecating seeds, demonstrating that the Araripe Manakin acts as an agent of dispersion of seeds over the watercourses it inhabits.

The Araripe Manakin is a specific specie of bird adapted to the vegetation that grows along watercourses. Its distribution is restricted to the limits of the umid forests that surrounds the Chapada do Araripe and its nearly 130 water sources and respective creeks.

The Araripe Manakin has a reproduction habit where the male remains with a single partner for the entire reproductive cycle, allowing her to build the nest in its territory. This is an area that he defends intensively, ensuring resources to the female and its chick.

The female builds a nest on a tree fork, preferably in a lower location (under 6 ft), near water sources. The deforestation over the watercourses, a frequent activity in the region (especially during the dry months between April and November) is seen as an easy way to improve the water distribution to the agriculture, but it is also extremely injurious to the Araripe Manakin.

The females always lay a pair of eggs, that hatch after three weeks. When they are chicks, they develop a green plumage like the one observed in the female. After three weeks, the chichs abandon the nest and are closely observed by their father.

The capacity of indicate the conservation status of the water sources, as well as the ability of help with the maintenance of forests through seed spreading are important environmental services provided by this specie.

Dryness

The water sources in the Chapada do Araripe have become dry. This phenomenon, that is not well comprehended, must have a significant impact over the specie.

Deforestation

The forests inhabitated by this bird are coveted by their wood, the real state devevelopment and by the farming activities.

Nest Destruction

There are intense fires in that region, irresponsibly caused by farmers and other entrepreneurs that seek a fast way to clean the forest terrain for their activities. This consists into a huge risk for the Araripe Manakin, whose nests end up being destroyed by the fire.

timeline

Scientific discovery of the specie.

The discovery causes repercussion in the specialized media.

Scientific description of the specie.

Inclusion of the specie in the International Red List.

Firsr Conservation Project

Aquasis subscribed to the conservatio strategy of the specie.

The Conservatio Action Plan for the Araripe Manakin was published.

Proposal of a Federal Conservation Unit (UC) for integral protection.

BirdLife International acknowledges Aquasis as the Guardian of the specie.

Office transfer from Fortaleza to the Chapada do Araripe (Crato)

Office assembled inside the Cultural Institute of Cariri (ICC).

The national Action Plan (PAN) for preservation of the Araripe Manakin was written.

Discovery of the bird inside humid cavities at the base of Chapada do Araripe. Inauguration of our seedlings nursery.

Creation of the Araçá RPPN with the support of Aquasis

Conclusion of the 2016-2020 National Action Plan.

Creation of the Oásis Araripe RPPN

a property of Aquasis.

The first sight of the Araripe Manakin by ornintologists was made on December 15, in the Farias watersource, Ararara district, Barbalha/CE.

The discovery of the Araripe Manakin echoed internationally. Its unique beauty and the risk of extinction from nature in the near future mobilized a range of institutions for its conservation.

The discovery of the Araripe Manakin echoed internationally. Its unique beauty and the risk of extinction from nature in the near future mobilized a range of institutions for its conservation.

The discovery of the Araripe Manakin echoed internationally. Its unique beauty and the risk of extinction from nature in the near future mobilized a range of institutions for its conservation.

In this year, the description of the specie was published in the Ararajuba magazine. Its name Anthilopia bokermanni is a homage to Werner Bokermann, a zoologist that praised the study of the birds of Ceará.

The specie is enlisted in the International Red List because of its restricted and severely fragmented distribution, the worsening of the quality of its habitat and the disappearence of mature animals.

First conservation project for the specie, supported by the NPO Observadores de Aves de Pernambuco. The specie is enlisted in the National Red List.

Aquasis starts the conservation work for the specie in a partnership with one of its discovers, the researcher Weber Silva. The main goal is to obtain data about the specie and use it to support a national handling and conservation plan.

The plan is the initial result of the research made with the Araripe Manakin. The document contains current information about the specie and recomendations for municipal, federal, state and institutional actions for conservation.

We proposed the creation of a permanent Federal Conservation Unity for the specie, in Chapada do Araripe for the specie.

As the Guardian institution of an endangered specie, Aquasis is acknowledged as a global leader in the conservation efforts for the Araripe Manakin inside the Preventing Extinction Programme of BirdLife.

The researches from Aquasis responsible for the conservation of the Araripe Manakin establish an office in Crato to intensify the conservation actions for the specie. This decision was fundamental for the acknowledgement of the specie as a symbol of Crato a few years later.

The partnership with ICC allowed the creation of a visitation room and a seedlings nursery for reforestation actions.

The second Acion Plan for the specie contain updated information from the year prior by Aquasis, and lasted for five years.

The seedlings nursery was inaugurated in the ICC, a start for one of the most important conservation actions for this bird: the reforestation and recovery of lifeless areas.

With the creation of the Araçá RPPN, about 11 hectares of land where the Araripe Manakin occur were preserved, an example for landowners in the region.

New planning of goals and actions for conservation for the years between 2015 and 2020.

Creation of the Oasis Araripe RPPN, the first Natural Reserve of Aquasis for the conservation of the Araripe Manakin in Crato.

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NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR THE ARARIPE MANAKIN (2016-2021)

strategies

The degradation of the forest in the Chapada do Araripe region has been one of the main reasons for the Araripe Manakin extinction process. We map their occurrence area and restore the forests in the deforested perimeters.

We collect data to identify the state of the specie in its natural habitat.

We always attend to events and forums where relevant public themes to the preservation of the Araripe Manakin, like the demarcation of protected areas, the management of warer resources, and the support of Conservation Units.

We promote the awareness to our cause by presenting a itinerant exposition to the rural population in the region of Chapada do Araripe and by keeping a visiting center about the specie and Aquasis in the city of Crato.

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Our Team

WEBER GIRÃO

Weber coordinates the Araripe Manakin project. Graduated in Biology from from UFC (2000) and master in Animal Biology from the UFPE (2004), he participated in the expedition that discovered the specie.

Karina Linhares

Karina is graduated in Biology from the Federal University of Pernambuco, where she also developed Master's and Ph.D research about plant-animal iterations. In the Araripe Manakin project, she coordinates the activities of reforestation.

FABIANO DE CRISTO

Fabiano gave musical lectures to the participants in the Brigada da Natureza project from 2009 to 2011, a work that gave origin to the Vozes da Mata group. He started to manage the Environmental Education side of the Araripe Manakin project in 2014.

Flaviana Santos

Flaviana was born in Crato-CE, and graduated in Biological Sciences from the Regional University of Cariri (URCA). She develops Environmental Education actions in schools and with the community where the Araripe Manakin occurs.

George Leandro

George graduated in Biology from UFC (2000) and has a Master's degree in Civil Engineering from UNICAMP (2005). He is the manager of the Reserva Oásis Araripe RPPN Reserva Oásis Araripe in Crato/CE.

Sr. Vicente

Mr. Vicente is the gardener responsible for the Seedlings Nursery for reforestation of the Araripe Manakin project and participate in reforestation campaigns and seedlings maintenance.